1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a training device for practicing golf skills, and in particular to a training device used to achieve the proper grip on a golf club.
2. Prior Art
The feel of the proper grip on the golf club is awkward, especially for the beginner and even some intermediate players. Shifting of the hands on the back swing or forward swing is common, thus changing your shot on the ball.
The Tredway U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,684 shows a golf swing training device wherein a golfer's glove supports and positions a light at the knuckle of the root of the forefinger of a golfer's hand so that when the golfer wears the glove and addresses a ball and then swings the club on the backswing properly, the rays of light from the light on the glove follows a prescribed path on an adjacent wall. However, the golf glove device of the Tredway Patent is awkward, if not unusable in outdoor situations.
The Bencriscutto U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,075 is a golf club grip training aid which can be considered either a band or glove which wraps around one hand of the golfer. It consists, in part, of a flexible loop secured to said band for receiving the thumb of players other hand, and a second flexible loop to receive the player's middle finger of the other hand. When both hands are gripping the golf club, the pull on either loop indicates that his grip is improper. The Bencriscutto Patent would be time consuming to put on, and awkward to remove after the golf swing.
The Churchill U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,428 is a golf club gripping aid that is a strap used in combination with a golf glove to maintain a golfer's hands in close relatively tight relation to each other when the golf club is gripped for hitting a golf ball. The thumb of the other hand is inserted into the loop of the strap. The Churchill Patent keeps hands snug, but does not insure the correct placement of the golf club in the gloved hand.
The OToole U.S. Pat. No 5,088,122 is a golf swing training glove. It consists of only one glove, using an elongated strap unit secured on one end to the top of the golf glove, with the other end of the strap member being of sufficient length to encircle the users fingers and the base of the thumb as well as the handle of the golf club. The OToole Patent would be cumbersome and time consuming on the golf course.
The Gauer U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,399 golf glove-supported golf swing aid is a combination of a golf glove adapted to be worn on the golf swing leading hand of said golfer, and a golf swing aid consisting of an elongated planar body extending from between two flaps of the golf glove, horizontally forward of the golfer and viewable by the golfer to in effect duplicate the position of the club head, serving as a visual guide to said golfer in making a proper golf swing. The Gauer Patent is primarily to improve the golf swing, rather than the golf grip.
The Lappley U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,367 golf glove enhances the grip by the use of a conventional golf glove with an elongated padded hump positioned adjacent the third and fourth fingers of the golf glove and aligned parallel with the base of the third and fourth fingers of the glove. The hump is formed of leather or other flexible sheet material into a pocket, and the pocket is filled with cotton batten or other non-woven compressible fibrous material. The hump being shaped and positioned such that it serves to enhance the grip of the hand against the golf grip, the overall effect being the glove urges the grip to remain adjacent the knuckles of the hand and enhances the gripping force of the third and fourth fingers, thereby urging a proper grip on the golf club. The Lappley Patent has no device for ensuring the player's other hand will not loose it's proper position during the golf swing.